Fulfilment

A/N: Okay thank you so much for the lovely reviews for the prologue so I hope I can keep improving and developing these characters in their story. Feedback is much appreciated (good and bad) and please do point out any mistakes I've made! Last chapter just sort of set the scene so now we'll get stuck in! Oh, by the way, this is from Branson's point of view and is set slightly before Christmas – so Sybil has found out she is pregnant, sent a letter to her mother and is waiting for Tom to return so she can share her news! Just a heads up, I will be flicking back and forth between different characters because although this is mainly Sybil/Branson things like Mary/Matthew's wedding will be included because they would be important to Sybil and Branson. All the chapters will be pretty short which should (in theory) allow me to update more often.

He hunched his shoulders and bowed his head against the harsh wind and rain that was pelting down on him; yes it was good to be home – but the only thing he hadn't missed while in England was the rain. Reflecting on what his life had been like Tom Branson frowned a little, it seemed like a different life, a different world with different people. Quickly his thoughts turned to Sybil (as they were wont to do every five minutes). Oh Sybil! She was everything to him, everything! Tom was a million times happier than he had ever thought possible but the only cloud on his horizon was that niggling doubt that continued to plague his every thought. Was she truly happy? Would she rather be sitting in some version of Downton with a rich English husband who could provide so much more for her? He sighed, he just wanted her to be happy – that's all he had ever wanted. Thinking back to the days following their shock announcement to her family, he couldn't help but chuckle at some of the memories. However, underneath that laughing exterior something about their reactions still stung. "All this time you've been driving me around, bowing and scraping..." Lord Grantham's words still made his blood boil. Was the great Earl of Grantham so deluded that he even considered that he, Tom Branson, would bow or scrape to an arrogant, oppressive English Lord? And then, Tom continued his reminiscing, he had the audacity to offer to pay him off! His fists clenched involuntarily, how did they not understand just how much he adored Sybil? He would have gladly walked over hot coals just to be rewarded with one of her smiles. Tom would have let bygones be bygones and ignored Lord Grantham's past remarks if he had shown the slightest inkling of wanting to be there for his daughter. Since they had moved to Ireland, Robert had neither visited nor written to Sybil and although she would not admit it, this troubled her greatly. Even the Dowager Countess had written! The surprisingly thoughtful albeit short letter had cheered Sybil up no end and he knew that no matter what she may say; she missed her family.

Sybil was not entirely bereft of family however; the Bransons had overcome their original distrust of anyone belonging to the English Aristocracy and after seeing how happy she made Tom they had accepted her as one of their own. In particular, Tom's sister Sinéad adored Sybil and was seriously considering following in Sybil's footsteps and becoming a nurse.

The tension was growing in Belfast and each day was marked with the news of another bomb, another shooting, another attack. This had never bothered Tom before, but it was no longer about him – his every thought was geared towards what was best for his wife, his Sybil. He chuckled quietly, better not let Sybil hear him calling her "his Sybil"! Her passion for women's rights had sustained, her initial joy at women receiving the suffrage quickly turned to fury when she discovered that she would not be eligible to vote for a good many years yet.

Turning and walking down a quiet street with small, neat houses Tom smiled, before he had met Sybil, the thought of living somewhere like this would have terrified him, it had seemed like a prison – but in reality, he had never felt freer. He quietly turned the handle on the front door and stepped into his home. He could hear Sybil singing to herself as she did a hundred and one things at once. Her new life suited Sybil, her bright eyes and tired feet served as a tribute to her life as both a professional woman and a housewife.

"Tom? Is that you darling?" A sweet voice interrupted his musings.

"Well good afternoon milady" Sybil laughed, Tom persisted in calling her milady as a kind of pet nickname, a joking reference to their past lives. "How was your day sweetheart?" This was Tom's favourite part of the day, a chance for them to just talk.

"Well," Sybil seemed hesitant, "I went to see the doctor today."

"Is something wrong? Are you ill?" Tom had never considered himself a worrier, but anything involving Sybil mattered desperately to him.

Her beautiful, sweet laugh rang out, "Oh Tom! No, I'm absolutely fine – no, I'm better than fine – I'm perfect!"

"Well I could have told you that!"

"Well, I'm...I'm pregnant!"

"You're what?" He was genuinely shocked by her unexpected news.

"Pregnant...we're having a baby!" Sybil's smile started to fade, "aren't you...aren't you pleased?"

Suddenly Tom's face burst into a glorious smile as he picked his wife up and spun her around, "Pleased? I'm ecstatic! I couldn't be happier! Oh my darling!"

As he lay down to sleep that night, while holding Sybil close, Tom sighed contentedly, his whole life he had always been charging around, trying to change the world. His family constantly despaired as he was never satisfied; but now, Tom Branson realised he had finally got what he had always wanted – fulfilment.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to upload. I wrote it but just couldn't seem to get it right – I'm still not entirely happy but I didn't want to delay any longer. As always you have no idea how much all reviews mean to me, no matter what length. The more reviews I get, the faster I upload!